Having good air quality in your home can improve your health and reduce your allergies. However, there are currently no DIY products that accurately assess the air for mold spores or other allergens. There is only one truly effective way to test the air quality inside your home: hire a certified professional specializing in mold testing.
A professional Air Quality Testing company like Moisture Science will test to determine if elevated mold spores are present. This is also an indication that there is a moisture problem in your home or business.
Are Air Quality Tests Worth It?
You may be tempted to test air quality with an “at-home” or DIY kit but these tests are ineffective at truly diagnosing whether you have a major problem: mold. Homeowners that use unreliable products or inaccurate methods to test air quality may be missing critical information and, therefore, essentially wasting money. To get the most accurate results for your residential air quality, choose professional air quality testing with a specialization in mold tests. These tests can not only tell you the exact levels of mold spores but what species are present. This is crucially important for people with very specific allergies.
A professional Air Quality Test (AQT) should determine whether indoor mold spores are elevated versus the outside spore levels. The CDC states that indoor mold spore counts should be the same or lower than that of the immediate outdoor environment. If elevated mold spores are found then there may be moisture damage, in most cases unknown by the homeowner. Moisture damage is the leading cause of property value loss and one of the most expensive repair costs.
If the air quality test is done properly by a professional, it can tell you a lot about the air you breathe every day and potentially save you money in repairs. If you are in need of a NJ air quality tester that also services the Philadelphia area, call Moisture Science:
How Accurate Are Air Mold Tests
What makes testing from a professional mold testing company more effective than an at-home solution? The professionals of Moisture Science know how to use highly sensitive equipment and most importantly the use of an accredited third-party laboratory to analyze the air quality samples. Our inspectors have a wealth of knowledge from years of experience to offer solutions that fit your needs.
At-home testing kits are simply not reliable enough to offer the same results. These kits lack the ability to properly identify the presence of mold spores and if the levels are dangerous. Knowing what part of the house or room to take your own sample is also a process that is easy to mishandle.
If you are located in Greater Philadelphia or New Jersey, email MSE to perform your air quality test: info@moisturescience.com
What Should I Expect From An Indoor Air Quality Test?
An AQT from a company that specializes in mold spore inspection will be able to help identify the mold source that a home or business owner may not anticipate. They will also be able to interpret the test results and explain them to you so you can make an informed decision.
For example, every home in New Jersey and Philly will have some mold in the basement. An experienced Moisture Science technician will test for the right types of mold and will understand the threshold at which it the levels are too high.
Our certified indoor air quality testing technicians only use an accredited independent laboratory to do the air quality analysis of the samples collected. When done properly these tests can detect fungal spores that are only 3 microns (.000118 of an inch) which requires 600x magnification (stereo microscope).
Moisture Science Environmental uses EMSL Laboratories, a world-renowned and accredited laboratory in Cinnaminson, NJ. Simply put, a home kit cannot offer testing with the same level of accuracy, sensitivity, or with the assistance of accredited laboratories. Contact Moisture Science Environmental today to schedule your AQT.
What Is Considered Good Indoor Air Quality?
The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists cites that indoor mold spores should be the same or lower than the immediate outside environment. So that is the baseline Moisture Science uses when conducting air quality analysis. We take a sample of air from outside the home or business and then we take samples from the inside living areas. If the inside spore counts are higher than the baseline, we know there is a problem.
How Often Should Air Quality Be Tested?
Generally, air quality testing should only be done when a problem is suspected. These include
- If you are prone to allergies and respiratory issues
- You are experiencing excessive allergy symptoms or other health issues (asthma attacks, elevation in COPD symptoms and chronic sinusitis
- The smell of musty odors
- A recent water-damage event that wasn’t dried in a timely manner
New Jersey and Philadelphia get enough rain and humidity to contribute to excess moisture in the air. If you aren’t properly weather-proofed then that moisture can get into and trapped in your home. A professional can test your home or business and make further recommendations if future tests should be scheduled.
That can contribute to the above-normal mold spores in your home.
Moisture Science is a local air quality testing company that understands the microbiology of mold and will make experienced recommendations to answer your questions about home air quality.
How Do You Fix Poor Indoor Air Quality?
If you search online, you’ll find many at-home remedies for improving your air quality. One popular solution is purchasing indoor plants to improve air quality. However, house plants typically increase the amount of available oxygen which does not resolve mold issues.
Ultimately, these cheap DIY air quality recommendations will not resolve the source of your issues, and the real reason why you might be struggling with mold growth in your home will persist.
As it relates to mold, the only way to improve air quality is to address the moisture issue that is causing it. Repairs to leaky roofs, plumbing repairs, using a dehumidifier, and having a sound foundation wall are only some of the ways to reduce elevated moisture or relative humidity.
Trust an Experienced Indoor Air Quality Tester
If you have poor indoor air quality or an indoor mold problem, Moisture Science has a combined 25 years of experience in mold inspection and remediation. We are the only South Jersey/Philly Metro area mold inspector with a Bachelors’s degree in Microbiology.
Trust MSE to investigate your home to identify the source of the moisture problem. Contact us for experienced recommendations to improve the indoor air quality in your home.
